After 19 years later chapter 4
by 2000mushroom
Summary: This is the fourth chapter of "After 19 years later".


**Chapter 4**

Nothing eventful happened from Tuesday to Wednesday, except that Adam had accidently put too much of one unidentified liquid, making the potion orange instead of blue, and the cauldron melted. Professor Slughorn took off ten points from Gryffindor for that. Alex couldn't help but feel sorry for Lynden who was with Adam, but Alex was with Kevin, who turned out to be great at potions.

"Alex!" said Lynden as they started to walk to the Quidditch field.

"Yeah?" Lynden was running to Alex at top speed.

"Today we've got defence against the dark arts," he said.

"I know. I can't wait. It's right after Quidditch. We've got to arrive there early, or we won't get decent seats."

Alex tried to clear his mind about DA (Defence Association) until after Quidditch.

"So," said madam Hooch, when all of the Gryffindors had arrived. "Will all of you first years please take a school broom from that bucket?"

Alex and Kevin had rushed forward to get a good broom, but all of them were old and were all a little bent.

"My dad who used to go to Hogwarts said that all of the school brooms tilt to the left a little bit," he remarked, tossing aside a broom that looked like it had been used as firewood. The burns were just a little bit too obvious.

"Now when you have chosen your brooms, wait until I blow my whistle and yell UP, OK?" asked madam Hooch. When the class nodded, she blew on her whistle.

"UP!" yelled Alex and the broom sprang into his hands, though he was one of the few that did. Kevin's and Lynden's broom did, but Mary's broom didn't move at all. Lisa Green, a pretty first year girl's broom simply rolled to one side. When Lisa shouted "up" again, the broom sprang into her hands at the same time Adam's did.

"When I blow my whistle again, you will sit on your broom. When I blow my whistle for the third time, you will push yourself off the ground and you will be in the air."

Alex sat on his broomstick. It was uncomfortable, but at least it didn't have twigs sticking everywhere, like Adam's. But before Madam Hooch blew her whistle, an absent-minded first year boy called Don had already shot himself to the air. Having no real knowledge of flying, his broom came to the ground a moment later and Don slammed into the ground.

"Oh, poor boy. I'm going to take Don Henrik to the hospital wing and nobody DARE TOUCH THEIR BROOMS or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Snitch!'" madam Hooch warned. The moment madam Hooch left the class, Alex felt a tingling in his broom. But it was nothing compared to Kevin's shaking broom, which started to twist and turn.

"Uh…is this supposed to happen?" asked Kevin, looking around wildly for an answer.

Alex, knowing about Quidditch even less than Kevin, merely shrugged. But now Kevin's broom began to rise in the air – with Kevin on it. The broom began to make dangerous twists in the air, and it seemed like the school broom was trying to buck Kevin off. Alex's broom, which had been standing beside Kevin, was affected too. It began to rise in the air and it started to fly towards the Forbidden Forest. As Alex was rising in the air, he saw a black shadowy figure behind a tree in the Forbidden Forest.

"What do you think you're doing?" yelled madam Hooch, who had just returned from the hospital wing. "Get down now!"

"They can't," rang the class. All of the Gryffindors at the same time tried to explain what was happening to Kevin and Alex.

"The brooms took off by themselves –"

"It's like they're bewitched –"

"I think someone is controlling it – look!" yelled Mary, pointing to the dark figure that Alex had just seen. The moment Mary had pointed to the figure, the figure disappeared. The brooms Alex and Kevin were on instantly became normal again – still many yards above ground. Alex and Kevin plummeted downwards, going faster than they ever had. Alex felt the rush of air, and he knew he would die if he didn't – but Alex pushed away that thought, and pulled the broom upwards – it was one of the best feelings Alex had ever felt. He was soaring in the air, free as a bird. Down below, Alex saw that Kevin had done the same thing; Kevin was much more graceful though and attracted a lot of "Ooohs" and "Aaahs" from the first years, except for Lynden, who scowled at all of the attention Kevin was getting.

Madam Hooch's anger instantly turned to excitement and surprise mixed with some wonder. "Come with me," she said, pointing to Alex and Kevin.

Alex felt tears coming to his eyes. He didn't even manage to stay in Hogwarts for three days! He would be a laughingstock when he reached his home with his muggle uncle and aunt – but then again, he was already always the one mocked by his muggle relatives already.

"Lupin," said madam Hooch, who peeked into a classroom. "I know Lupin is practicing his transfiguration, Minerva, but I need to burrow him for just one moment."

Alex wasn't too sure who Lupin was, and turned to Kevin.

"Now _you_ think _I_ know everything, too? You're becoming Lynden!" Kevin smirked, and said, "But I actually know the answer to this. Teddy Lupin, the prefect. He was the one who told us first years the password to our common room."

Teddy Lupin came out of the classroom, looking very confused.

"This is Teddy Lupin," explained madam Hooch, "he's one of the prefects for Gryffindor, and he's also the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Now Lupin, this is Tanner and…what's your last name, boy?"

"Cent," said Kevin. The last name "Cent" seemed familiar to Alex, but he couldn't remember where he remembered it from.

"Okay, so Teddy Lupin, this is Alex Tanner and Kevin Cent. They're two first years from Gryffindor." Then madam Hooch began to speak to Lupin in a hushed tone. Alex only managed to pick out some of the words.

"Like a sixty foot dive – bewitched school broom – not even Charlie Weasley – only Harry Potter could've – ever since Potter left – Slytherins laughing their heads off at Gryffindor's continuous defeat – I'm sure Minerva McGonagall would agree…"

Lupin's eyes gleamed at the idea. "Come," he said to Alex and Kevin. Unsure what would be done to them, Kevin and Alex followed Lupin into a small room.

"Madam Hooch and Professor McGonagall will agree that we will let you two – first years – come to the Quidditch team due to that amazing dive. I heard it was on a bewitched broom, too!"

Alex couldn't believe his ears. Since Harry Potter, he was the first – well he _and_ Kevin were the first – first years that were allowed on the Quidditch team.

"We're going to do tryouts for you two tonight. At seven, how's that?" asked Lupin.

"Yes," said Kevin and Alex at the same time.

"Good. Now, what's your next class? DA? OK, go enjoy it. Tonight at seven, remember!"

Hardly being able to keep their excitement, they broke the news to Adam and Lynden in their common room. Unfortunately, Mary heard and started to drone on how dangerous it would be for first years to play Quidditch. Mary reminded Alex about Professor Binns, their teacher for history of magic.

"Wow," said Adam, "you must be really good!"

But Lynden was not impressed. He sulked away and didn't speak to Alex and Kevin for the rest of the break.

Kevin and Alex were one of the first ones into the DA classroom. Kevin and Alex sat in the front row, facing Professor Potter directly. Professor Potter was already there. He tucked his quill away and his parchment when the rest of the class arrived.

"Good afternoon, Gryffindors," he said. There was a mumbled reply from the Gryffindors. Alex noticed some students on purposely sat on the back row, as far away from Professor Potter as they could.

"So first years, I have planned my lessons ahead of time. I've decided to make third years deal with Boggarts and other dark creatures (Professor Potter pointed his wand at a shuddering closet that was beside Adam) and fourth years with curses. As for first years, I'm going to teach some simple spells so you can deal with small stuff before dealing with dark creatures, like werewolves." Alex noticed that a girl toppled from view when she heard "werewolves".

"Now the one of the most basic spells that is easy to master but useful all together is '_expelliarmus'._ It's the disarming spell, and hey, first years, you might want to take out your quills and jot down what I'm saying. So this spell, if you do it well enough, can penetrate trough _Avada Kedavra_, the killing curse. I used _expelliarmus _twice against Voldemort (Lynden shuddered again). The first time I used it was when Voldemort obtained his own body, and the second time, the time I killed him.

"So now," said Professor Potter, brandishing his wand, "You will now practice the disarming spell." Professor Potter waved his wand and the desks and chairs disappeared. "I would like you each to find a partner."

Alex, who had partnered with Kevin in potions, had promised to be Lynden's partner in DA.

"On the count of three," said Professor Potter, "one…two…THREE!"  
Alex drew his wand and yelled "_expelliarmus!'_ at the same time many others did. A red light shot out of his wand, lighting up the whole classroom.

Lynden, who had fumbled his wand in the excitement, didn't manage to return the spell and the jet of red light from Alex's wand missed Lynden's wand, and it hit Lynden. Lynden was blasted to the far side of the classroom, and dropped his wand with a clatter.

"That is a nice disarming spell, boy. What's your name?" asked Professor Potter

"It's Tanner, Alex Tanner."

"Thank you, Tanner. Now, on the count of three again! One…two…three!"

Kevin continued to disarm Adam with ease. This time, Lynden disarmed Alex's wand.

After another fifteen minutes of _expelliarmus _Professor Potter commanded everyone to stop. "You guys are getting good," he said. "Five points to every Gryffindor here. Now, we'll do a small challenge." Professor waved his wand again, and another cabinet appeared beside the one that Professor had said was holding a "Boggart".

"First, I'll have to lock the classroom door." When Professor Potter did, he turned to the class. "We will now be practicing the disarming spell on a different target." Professor Potter unlocked the cabinet door, and Hode the poltergeist flew out, holding what looked like a red flashlight. Hode pointed it at Mary, and Mary was sprayed by red ink.

"Our job is to disarm Hode's red ink spraying flashlight!" said Professor Potter as Hode sprayed Professor Potter's robes with the red ink.

The yells of "_expelliarmus" _burst out. Most of them missed Hode, but Alex's was the closest. Most of the first years struggled to dodge the red ink, but Don Henrik aimed at Hode. But Don's aim, poor as it was, missed Hode by at least two metres and hit the wall which made a large hole. Lisa Green's _expelliarmus_ missed Hode and hit Kevin who was trying to aim. Lynden's _expelliarmus_ hit Hode – but it missed the flashlight. It slammed into Hode and Hode spiraled down.

"_Expelliarmus!"_ yelled Mary, who was still half covered in the red ink. The red flashlight tumbled to the ground and Hode was blasted right through the hole that Don created.

"Twenty points to Gryffindor for that great job. And an extra five points to Lynden and Mary for helping the most." Professor Potter dismissed the class after using his wand to clean up the red ink whether it was on the floor or on a person.

"Better be careful for Hode now," said Kevin.

"Why?"

"No doubt he'll obtain new levels of evil once all four classes of first years blast him through the wall."

Alex smiled, and reminded Kevin about Quidditch practice at seven.

"I know," he said. "I can hardly wait."


End file.
